THE GREEK REVOLUTION.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17284, 27 September 1916, Page 6

THE GREEK REVOLUTION.

_*. Tin-: dramatic step taken by M. Vouezcios terminates all prospect of a compromise in tho Greek crisis, and wo tako it that tho solution will be reached now only by way of a contest between people and monarchy. So far tho popular leader has not definitely denounced the monarchy, but the fact that ho went to Salouika to assume the leadership of the revolutionary movement there and subsequently sailed for Crete to organise the revolt in tho island loaves no possible room for doubt as to his attitude... In theory, wc suppose, tho movement is directed against the Government and the palace grcup rather than against the King, but Constantino has been so obviously and so directly the centre of the Teutonic conspiracy that a revolution against tho Government is necessarily a revolution against the King himself. The latest development, of course, will havo como with the approval of the Allies. Hitherto they hove abstained floin countenancing the revolution, though it is to be gathered from tho ctiblo messages that Greek volunteers are even now fighting boside the Serbs against Bulgarians and Germans, and wo may guess that the Greek regiments undor General Sarrail's command wore oiganis?d by the revolutionary committee in Salonika. Crete, by throwing itself whole-heartedly into the revolutionary movement, has been truo to jTs loyalty to tho man who really gave if freedom. It will tako tho lend in tho new policy, to which the Greeks of many of tho smaller islands have already given their adherence, and from Crete M. Venezelos will direct the organisation of tho wholo revolution. For months past it has been necessary to provido him with a bodyguard, wceause his life was not safe in Athens, and in his own island he will bo comparatively secure from molestation by Ger-man-paid assassins. Ho has hesitated long to tako tho final step. No doubt his hand could bo traced in the popular agitation in Macedonia, but the revolution had not been grow beyond control, and if tho King had come to terms with tho Allies Venezelos could have swung tho organisation into lino behind the Government. But m soito of Allied pressure the Teutonic group in Athens was determined to hamper tho Allies, and the course now followed by Venezelos is tho clearest evidence that tho arrangement of a satisfactory compromise was considered to be out of tho question. The paticnco of the Venozelists has been tho more noteworthy because they havo never regarded tho reigning dynasty as being Greek in sentiment, and tho purpose of tho revolution is not to help the Allies so much as to save Greece from virtual extinction as a ration. Constantine would hare been content to soe the country included in the German sphere of influence, virtually as a German dependency, and tho party that Venezelos has gathered round him—the true Hellenic core of the nation—has no mind to acquiesce in such a fate. Events will movo quickly now in Greece.